System and method for quantum-enabled cyber security in a wireless mobile network

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, monitoring a security status of a wireless communication session comprising a back-haul link supporting a classical communication channel between a wireless access point and a wireless mobility core network. The classical communication channel is adapted to transport underlying data of the wireless communication session and, responsive to determining a change in the security status, associating with the wireless communication session a quantum communication channel adapted to transport information via qubits. Information is exchanged between the wireless access point and the mobility core network via the qubits of the quantum communication channel, wherein the exchanging of the information via the qubits enhances a security level of the wireless communication session in view of a perceived threat. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a processing system including a processor; and 
 a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising: 
 monitoring a security status of a mobile communication session comprising a back-haul link between a wireless access point and a mobility core network, the back-haul link comprising a classical communication channel adapted to transport underlying data of the mobile communication session between the wireless access point and the mobility core network; 
 responsive to determining a change in the security status indicating a perceived threat:
 provisioning a quantum communication channel between the wireless access point and the mobility core network, wherein the quantum communication channel is adapted to transport information via qubits; and 
 exchanging information between the wireless access point and the mobility core network via the qubits of the quantum communication channel, wherein the exchanging of the information via the qubits enhances a security level of the mobile communication session to obtain an enhanced security level in view of the perceived threat. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the provisioning of the quantum communication channel further comprises:
 associating a quantum-enabled communication node with the mobile communication session; and 
 initiating generation of a quantum-entangled state according to the quantum-enabled communication node, wherein the qubits transported via the quantum communication channel are subject to the quantum-entangled state, wherein the enhanced security level is based on the quantum-entangled state. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the exchanging of the information between the wireless access point and the mobility core network via the qubits of the quantum communication channel further comprises:
 transporting the underlying data of the classical communication channel via teleportation according to the quantum-entangled state. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the qubits comprise photons. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mobility core network facilitates the mobile communication session according to a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), long-term evolution (LTE) protocol. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the underlying data further comprises user data according to user plane operation of the 3GPP, LTE protocol. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the underlying data further comprises control signaling according to control plane operation of the 3GPP, LTE protocol. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring of the security status further comprises receiving an indication of the perceived threat from a threat detector adapted to detect potential threats occurring along the back-haul link. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the exchanging of the information between the wireless access point and the mobility core network via the qubits of the quantum communication channel further comprises:
 sharing an encryption key according to quantum key distribution via the quantum communications channel to obtain a shared key, the underlying data of the classical communication channel being encrypted according to the shared key. 
 
     
     
       10. A method, comprising:
 monitoring, by a processing system including a processor, a security status of a wireless communication session comprising a back-haul link between a wireless access point and a mobility core network, the back-haul link comprising a classical communication channel adapted to transport underlying data of the wireless communication session between the wireless access point and the mobility core network; 
 responsive to determining a change in the security status indicating a perceived threat:
 initiating, by the processing system, a quantum communication channel between the wireless access point and the mobility core network, wherein the quantum communication channel is adapted to transport information via qubits; and 
 exchanging, by the processing system, information between the wireless access point and the mobility core network via the qubits of the quantum communication channel, wherein the exchanging of the information via the qubits enhances a security level of the wireless communication session to obtain an enhanced security level in view of the perceived threat. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the initiating of the quantum communication channel further comprises:
 associating a quantum-enabled communication node with the wireless communication session; and 
 initiating generation of a quantum-entangled state according to the quantum-enabled communication node, wherein the qubits transported via the quantum communication channel are subject to the quantum-entangled state, wherein the enhanced security level is based on the quantum-entangled state. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the exchanging of the information between the wireless access point and the mobility core network via the qubits of the quantum communication channel further comprises:
 transporting, by the processing system, the underlying data of the classical communication channel via teleportation according to the quantum-entangled state. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the qubits comprise photons. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the mobility core network facilitates the wireless communication session according to a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), long-term evolution (LTE) protocol. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the monitoring of the security status further comprises receiving, by the processing system, an indication of the perceived threat from a threat detector adapted to detect potential threats occurring along the back-haul link. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the exchanging of the information between the wireless access point and the mobility core network via the qubits of the quantum communication channel further comprises:
 sharing, by the processing system, an encryption key according to quantum key distribution via the quantum communications channel to obtain a shared key, the underlying data of the classical communication channel being encrypted according to the shared key. 
 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 monitoring a security status of a wireless communication session comprising a back-haul link between a wireless access point and a mobility core network, the back-haul link comprising a classical communication channel adapted to transport underlying data of the wireless communication session between the wireless access point and the mobility core network; 
 responsive to determining a change in the security status indicating a perceived threat:
 associating with the wireless communication session a quantum communication channel between the wireless access point and the mobility core network, wherein the quantum communication channel is adapted to transport information via qubits; and 
 exchanging information between the wireless access point and the mobility core network via the qubits of the quantum communication channel, wherein the exchanging of the information via the qubits enhances a security level of the wireless communication session to obtain an enhanced security level in view of the perceived threat. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the associating of the quantum communication channel further comprises:
 associating a quantum-enabled communication node with the wireless communication session; and 
 initiating generation of a quantum-entangled state according to the quantum-enabled communication node, wherein the qubits transported via the quantum communication channel are subject to the quantum-entangled state, wherein the enhanced security level is based on the quantum-entangled state. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the exchanging of the information between the wireless access point and the mobility core network via the qubits of the quantum communication channel further comprises:
 transporting, by the processing system, the underlying data of the classical communication channel via teleportation according to the quantum-entangled state. 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the mobility core network facilitates the wireless communication session according to a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), long-term evolution (LTE) protocol.